It is estimated that 75 – 90% of disease is caused by stress.

We know stress is not good for our health. What is happening in our bodies during the stress response and how can Chinese medicine help this cascade of problems? Generally our nervous system is in 1 of 2 modes.  Rest and Relax (i.e. “Parasympathetic Mode”) and the opposite; Fight or Flight (“Sympathetic Mode”).

Rest and Relax is just as it indicates, we are calmly moving through our day.

In this state the body may be doing things like digesting food, making a baby, restoring and repairing itself.  The blood flow and energy is focused in areas like the digestive tract, reproductive organs or any part of the body needing repair or restoration.  “Rest and Relax” allows us to be creative, problem solvers or be open to new possibilities.

On the contrary when in the mode of “Fight or Flight”, we are suddenly in a heightened state of awareness.  Our body is perceiving danger.  Physically our body responds so that we have the best chance of survival.  For example, blood flow is taken away from digestion and fertility, instead  it’s sent to the muscles of the limbs.

Actions of the heart & lung increase (getting ready for a fight or escape).   The pupils of the eyes dilate (so we can see what is coming at us and where to run/fight). Certainly we don’t want our digestion to be breaking down our last meal at this time!   Also we are not able to solve problems or be creative because we can only react.  Reactions happen before we have a chance to think.

So how does this relate to the creation of disease and illness?

Think of an elk grazing in a mountain meadow.  Suddenly he is being shot at by a hunter.  The elk has a physiological response like a human.  It will suddenly become hyper aware and run away.  Within 10 minutes he will be back grazing in “Rest and Relax” mode.  This is a normal response to stress.

Unfortunately, the stressors in our lives are ongoing  & not allowing us to get back to “Rest and Relax”.  When your boss is chewing you out, or your high mortgage payment is due, running away or fighting is not going to get rid of the stressor!  Day after day, month after month the stress builds.  The body is ends up being in “Fight or Flight” on a regular basis.

When in  “Fight or Flight,” the adrenals for example are putting out chemicals that are needed for a short burst but if this goes on for months or years these chemicals will begin breaking down the body systems.  Also when in “Fight or Flight” on a consistent basis, food will not be digested properly, and the body will not be able to restore or repair itself and sleep is often affected.   Over an extended period a person becomes malnourished, fatigued and the immune system cannot fight pathogens.

Can you see how the processes I am describing above can easily create an environment for illness and disease to easily take hold?

So what can Chinese medicine do to help stop this cycle?

Acupuncture works very effectively to take the body out of a “Fight or Flight” response.  As I mentioned earlier blood flow is shunted away from areas that nurture and heal when in survival mode.  Acupuncture restores blood flow to the areas that most need it.  Energy flow becomes blocked and/or weak during “Fight or Flight” also.  During an acupuncture treatment a sense of well-being is restored.

The wonderful thing about acupuncture is it positively affects both the body and mind helping to retrain a person physically and mentally to fall back in a relaxed and healing state.  Each person responds to stress in a different way and Chinese medicine diagnosis allows practitioners to pinpoint the areas that have been most affected.  Treatments are focused specifically for each persons’ areas of concern.

For more information on whether acupuncture are for you, download my free Ebook at  www.FriscoAcupuncture.com .  Scroll down on the homepage and you will see my book   “How to Thrive in the Modern World,” a layperson’s guide to Chinese medicine.